1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the area of skateboards. More particularly, the invention regards a device employed in cooperation with a skateboard truck assembly to facilitate the removal and replacement of the tension bolt, which is also called the king pin, and the bushings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A skateboard truck assembly in the prior art typically includes a base plate, which is connected directly to the underside (or bottom surface) of a skateboard, and an axle assembly to support the wheels, which is connected to the base plate. The base plate includes a bottom surface, which is generally flat, and raised mounts on the top surface to support the bushings and the axle assembly. The base plate and the axle assembly are secured to each other by a tension bolt with the use of a corresponding threaded nut, which engages and secures the bolt at the bolt""s threaded end. The nut or the bolt is then rotated until tight.
Replacing a worn or broken bushing or bolt requires the removal of the bolt or the bushing and the installation of the replacement part. This process has always involved the difficult task of carefully aligning the bolt, as it penetrates through the apertures in the axle assembly and the base plate, with the threaded nut, which engages the bolt from below the base plate. Unfortunately, the nut is situated in an awkward position below the base plate. In this location, the nut is difficult to manipulate and align at the proper angle to enable it to effectively engage and secure the bolt. Thus, it has always been an essential, albeit time consuming, step in the process to totally remove the base plate from the skateboard. This enabled a person to gain easy access to the area beneath the plate to ensure the proper connection between the nut and the bolt.
In the past, skateboard truck assemblies typically employed a bolt with a rounded head and positioned the head end of the bolt underneath the base plate. The threaded nut mated with the threaded end of the bolt in the relatively exposed area where the bolt penetrates the axle assembly. There the nut and the bolt engaged to join and secure the base plate and the axle assembly. The perceived advantage with this arrangement was the ease in replacing a worn or broken part like the bushing, and then resecuring the assembly and the base plate to the board. The exposed area where the nut and the threaded end of the bolt were fastened gave easy access to the proper tool to tighten the nut and secure the connection. Still, replacing a worn or broken bolt required the cumbersome and time consuming task of removing both the base plate and the bolt, and then installing and resecuring all the parts. The threaded end of the bolt also tended to protrude beyond the axle and scrape along the running surface. This not only caused control problems with the board, but it was also considered a serious safety hazard. Thus, reversing the position of the bolt or inverting it to expose only the rounded or head end, which did not protrude, became an imperative. However, eliminating the need to remove and reconnect the base plate every time a bolt or bushing required replacement became the primary imperative. Still, the problem remained just how to ensure the proper alignment and positioning of the nut to make certain that the bolt would effectively engage the nut where it was situated in its concealed setting.
The present invention solves the problems in the prior art by providing an object similar in function to a pedestal, which is supported beneath the base plate, to hold and retain the threaded nut at a preselected angle to enable it to properly align with and engage the threaded end of the tension bolt. Also provided is a base plate, which includes the means to hold and confine the nut in a fixed position. Sculpted within the bottom surface of the base plate is an area generally conforming to the shape of the pedestal. Inside this area is a hollow where the nut is confined in a tight space and restrained from rotating. The tension bolt, upon engaging the restrained nut, is rotated until it tightens, thus securing the axle assembly and the base plate to the skateboard. When the bolt is removed to allow for its replacement, or the bolt is removed to replace a worn or defective bushing, the threaded nut remains seated on the pedestal at the desired angle and fixed inside the hollow to prevent rotation.
The present invention provides a device for use with a skateboard and a skateboard truck assembly to facilitate the removal and replacement of various component parts of a skateboard truck assembly including the bushings and the tension bolt, which is used to join the base plate and the axle assembly. The bolt is inserted through the aligned apertures in the axle assembly and the base plate. It then penetrates into the area beneath the base plate where it emerges and mates with the threaded nut. The invention includes a device which is supported by the bottom surface of the board and held stationary inside a pocket formed within the underside of the base plate. The device, which is referred to as a pedestal, includes a generally flat base, a sloped guide platform situated upon the base, and an upstanding heel section formed at the base of the sloped guide platform. The guide platform is constructed according to a specific angle of inclination to fix the nut""s orientation and to enable the nut and the threaded end of the bolt to properly align and engage. The upstanding heel section acts like a retaining wall provided to arrest the nut from deviating from its desired angle and position of alignment. Formed along the center section of the inside surface of this wall is a slight recess that aids in the proper positioning of the nut and to keep the nut immobile. Inside the pocket, which receives and conforms to the size and shape of the pedestal, is a hollow area, which holds the nut and keeps it confined to prevent rotation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device which is used in conjunction with a skateboard truck assembly to facilitate the removal and reinsertion of the tension bolt and the bushings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is used in conjunction with a skateboard truck assembly that enables the removal and reinsertion of the tension bolt and the bushings without requiring the removal of the base plate from the skateboard.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is used in conjunction with a skateboard truck assembly that holds a threaded nut stationary at the desired angle of inclination to enable the tension bolt and the nut to align properly and engage.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is resilient and is used in conjunction with a skateboard truck assembly to inhibit or prevent the slippage of the mounting plate across the surface of the skateboard.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is used in conjunction with a skateboard truck assembly that absorbs the shock of the forces generated through the tension bolt sustained in the act of skateboarding.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is used in conjunction with a skateboard truck assembly to restrain the nut from rotating when the tension bolt and the nut engage.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is cost effective and easily and efficiently manufactured.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following specifications when considered in light of the attached drawings wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.